A look at Lilly Singh’s rise to fame
How this Ontarian went from making YouTube videos to becoming part of mainstream media.
After amassing millions of fans online as a YouTube creator, Lilly Singh has made a name for herself in mainstream media. Born and raised in Scarborough, Ont. to Indian parents, Singh eventually moved to Markham with her family at 16. Now a successful TV host, author, actess and advocate, Singh’s rise to fame began with her making videos on YouTube.
Her YouTube channel
Singh started her YouTube channel in 2010 with a now-deleted video. She began taking YouTube seriously when she visited the home of Allen Buckle, a popular YouTuber known as FLuffeeTalks. Buckle told Singh that he was able to buy his house after making videos on YouTube. He was referring to monetization, a process where Youtubers make a cut of the ad revenue generated on YouTube when they allow ads to play on their channels. Singh told her parents that she wanted to pursue YouTube as a career instead of going to grad school. Her father gave her one year to focus on YouTube. Within that year, Singh’s channel rose to 100,000 subscribers.
Back then Singh’s YouTube channel name was called IISuperwomanII. Titled after a song by Lil Mo and Fabulous, Superwoman was a name she used for her MSN account, so she used it for YouTube, too. Singh called herself Superwoman as a kid because she wanted to deal with life’s obstacles like a hero. In a 2019 Instagram post, Singh announced that she would no longer be using the pseudonym as she now felt more empowered to use her real name.
Singh’s videos were primarily comedy skits. In many of the skits, Singh dressed up as her “mom” and “dad.” She and her parents would also react to popular or controversial topics in videos. In other videos, Singh tried to keep things relatable, especially for her female demographic, with videos like “How Girls Get Ready…,” “Girls On Their Periods” and “How Girls Try On Clothes.”
Singh would eventually film with other YouTubers and celebrities. One of her most popular videos features Liza Koshy, a popular biracial (Indian and white) YouTuber. Singh has also collaborated with Adam Devine, Priyanka Chopra, Tia Mowry and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson—a celebrity with whom Singh has been obsessed since she was in grade three.
Books
Singh has authored two books. In 2017, Penguin Random House published her first book, How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life, in different countries. Be A Triangle was published in 2022 by Doubleday in Canada, Ballantine Books in the U.S., and Bluebird in the U.K..
Select film and TV appearances
In 2018, Singh appeared in HBO’s TV film Fahrenheit 451. She also had a small role in the 2016 movie Bad Moms.
Singh received a deal with NBC to have her own late-night talk show. She was the first Indian-decent, openly bisexual person to host a late-night show. A Little Late with Lilly Singh premiered on NBC on Sept. 16, 2019. The show ran for two seasons and was cancelled on May 6, 2021. Its final episode aired on June 3, 2021.
From 2022 to 2024, Singh served as a judge for three seasons of Canada’s Got Talent. In 2023, Singh became the host of CTV’s Battle of the Generations, a trivia show in which four different generations (baby boomers, generation X, millennials and generation Z) compete for a prize of $25,000.
Selected awards
Singh has won many awards, including the 2015 MTV Fandom Awards for Social Superstar of the Year, the 2016 Teen Choice Awards for both Choice Web Star: Comedy and Choice Web Star: Female and the 2017 People’s Choice Awards for Favorite YouTube Star.
Other collaborations and advocacy
In 2016, Singh collaborated with Smashbox to create her own shade of Always On Liquid Lipstick called BAWSE.
Singh started her #GirlLove movement in 2015. The movement was geared towards breaking the cycle of girl-on-girl hate and bullying. Singh’s most viewed video (currently at 56 million views) on her YouTube channel is part of her GirlLove playlist, featuring model and Mississauga native Winnie Harlow and actress Zendaya.
In 2017, Singh was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
From filming videos in her Markham bedroom to appearing on the big screen, Lilly Singh has long surpassed her goal of making a career through YouTube videos.